


Scarecrow

by clizziem



Series: Don't Smile at Me [16]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Protective Azula (Avatar), Sokka is a good boyfriend, Sort Of, Stalking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:55:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28710054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clizziem/pseuds/clizziem
Summary: Zuko knows what day it is before he even opens his eyes. He groans and covers his head with his blanket, hoping he can just fall back to sleep and not wake up until tomorrow but then there’s a bounce and he can feel his sister’s knees in his back.“Zu-Zuuu,” Azula coos and starts poking his head. Zuko groans again and buries his head under a pillow. “Happy birthday, Zu-Zu,” Azula says and flops over his body.Zuko's 17th birthday is full of ups and downs
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Don't Smile at Me [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2079291
Comments: 11
Kudos: 259





	Scarecrow

**Author's Note:**

> Ayy here's another part. Sorry this is coming out later than I normally post, I had a crazy couple of days. Anyway here's some fluff and angst for your Tuesday. TW for references to abuse. Kind of darker stuff than previously discussed but it's still not graphic. Also maybe TW for stalking? I'm just going to put it there just in case.  
> Enjoy!

Zuko knows what day it is before he even opens his eyes. He groans and covers his head with his blanket, hoping he can just fall back to sleep and not wake up until tomorrow but then there’s a bounce and he can feel his sister’s knees in his back.

“Zu-Zuuu,” Azula coos and starts poking his head. Zuko groans again and buries his head under a pillow. “Happy birthday, Zu-Zu,” Azula says and flops over his body.

“No,” Zuko grumbles and tries to push her off of him. Azula pulls the covers off him and lifts his pillow. He glares at her through half-lidded eyes. Azula’s got one hand behind her and a giant grin on. 

“Come on, I got you a little something,” she says and tugs on his sleeve. Zuko’s shoulders start aching and he glances at the half-open bedroom door. Azula follows his gaze and then rubs his arm. “Iroh’s not going to take it, Zu-Zu. He’s downstairs making you a birthday breakfast.”

Zuko rubs the back of his hand over his eye and sits up. Azula reveals her other hand and opens her fist.

There’s a tiny pride pin in her hand.

“I know you might be a little new to the whole accepting your sexuality thing, but I thought you’d want a pin for when you’re ready,” she says. Zuko takes the pin and holds it delicately. It’s the kind that could go on his backpack or on a jacket.

Azula’s right. He’s not quite ready for it.

But he loves it.

He gives her a hug and tries to ignore how his whole body is stinging. “He...He won’t take it?” Zuko asks into his sister’s shoulder.

“No, Zuko. He won’t take it,” Azula whispers back. “It’s yours.”

Zuko doesn’t mention that a lot of things that were his wound up in the trash or the fireplace or in pieces on the floor. He just gets up and props the pin up against an empty picture frame that had been in the room since he and Azula moved in.

“You’re shaking,” Azula says. “Come down and eat with us.”

Zuko thinks he might be sick if he puts anything in his mouth but he follows Azula downstairs. Iroh’s still in the kitchen getting plates set up but he sends Zuko a huge smile when he sees him.

“Happy birthday, nephew,” he says and Zuko lets him give him a hug. Iroh holds him out at arm's length and looks him over. “You’re shaking.”

“I think he needs to eat something,” Azula says. Zuko can’t stop himself from shaking his head and letting out a breathy sob. Azula’s suddenly alert and Iroh sits him down at the table and kneels in front of him.

“What is it, nephew?” He asks. “I’m not planning to take anything anyone gives you today. Any gifts you get are yours to keep.”

Zuko shakes his head again and starts sobbing properly. His whole body vibrates with remembered pain and his face feels like it’s burning again and his back…

“Zuko, please talk to me?” Iroh asks. Zuko puts his face in his hands and basically yowls in pain.

“Everything hurts!” He sobs out.

Iroh’s hand starts running down his arm and while it helps a little bit, the pain returns as soon as his hand leaves his skin. “Are you having a flashback?” 

Zuko shakes his head.

“Just...remembering?” Azula asks. Zuko nods and wishes he could rip his skin off. He heard something in biology class once about how it takes seven years for all your skin cells to regenerate or something. He was still living at Ozai’s house when he heard that and he wound up having to leave the room to go cry in the bathroom.

It was going to take seven years for his body to forget everything. For completely new cells who hadn’t been abused to take over. And he kept getting hurt. So it was going to be even further into his life that he’d have new skin.

“Can you talk to me about what you’re remembering?” Iroh asks.

Zuko tries to take a deep breath and then looks at Azula. “Remember...how Dad used to say he would drive me to school every year on my birthday?” Zuko asks. Azula nods. “Well...I mean, he would...to be in school for the last couple of periods...but in between that he...he…” Zuko breaks and starts crying again. Azula frowns and scoots closer to him.

“Zuko. What did he do to you?” She asks.

“He...He’d bring me to work with him. For...for a little while. Th-Then he’d bring me home and…” he stops again and just sobs. Iroh pulls him in for a hug and Zuko just clings to him for a second.

“Take your time, nephew,” Iroh murmurs.

His skin stings more than ever and he doesn’t think he can talk anymore. He pulls away from Iroh and tugs his shirt off his back so it’s wrapped around his arms. He barely hears Azula’s gasp. He can feel his pulse in his back and he shuts his eyes when Iroh gets up and goes to look.

He knows what they’ll see.

There are exactly one-hundred scars on his back. Some are older than others but they’re all bumpy and ugly.

“Zuko. What caused these?” Iroh asks, slow and horrified.

“He’d throw me on the ground and cut me…” Zuko trails off.

“With a knife?” Azula asks softly.

Zuko just nods. “One...One cut for every year I’d been alive.”

“When-” Azula begins and he feels her hand on his shoulder blade.

“Every year since Mom left.”

“You never told me,” Azula whispers.

“He..He said if I told anyone...he’d do it to you,” Zuko says and feels a tear land on his hand.

Iroh comes back to kneel in front of him and Zuko puts his t-shirt back on. He hears Azula fall back into her chair.

“You’re still shaking,” Iroh notes. Zuko’s lip starts trembling and more tears start falling.

“I-I’m….What if he comes for me? Be-Because it’s-”

“He’s not going to come for you, Zuko,” Iroh says. Zuko starts to sob again and shakes his head.

“You don’t know that!” He shouts into his hands. They fall quiet. Because he’s right. They don’t know that.

“Okay, we don’t,” Azula says and comes to stand by Iroh. “But I’ll tell your friends about this and we’ll keep you safe. Dad’s not a moron, he won’t try anything.”

Zuko nods and wipes his eyes. “I’m sorry I ruined the day,”

“You didn’t ruin anything, Zuko,” Iroh says and then pushes a plate of bacon and eggs towards him. “Eat what you can, okay?”

Zuko nods and ignores nausea turning in his stomach when he sees Azula start texting people.

“For what it’s worth,” Iroh begins and sits down with a cup of tea. “I do wish you a happy birthday.”

Zuko smiles and takes another bite.

It’s worth a lot.

But he doesn’t say anything.

“So...what are we on the lookout for?” Aang asks. Sokka pulls Zuko closer and leaves a small kiss on his temple. As soon as Sokka saw him on the steps outside school, Zuko’s been in his arms.

“Black car, tinted windows, license plate GHW-995,” Azula says. “I doubt he’ll come, but you know. Stay alert for that.”

“We can do that,” Katara says and Zuko loves how she subtly cracks her knuckles.

“Tell one of us if you’re summoned to the office, too,” Toph says. “My parents used to do that. Just show up unannounced and take me out of class when they learned I was doing something ‘dangerous.’”

“Okay,” Zuko murmurs. Azula comes forward and puts her hands on his shoulders.

“It’s going to be fine. I really do doubt that he’ll come. He has too much to lose.”

“He doesn’t know that,” Zuko mumbles.

“Dad’s a piece of shit, but he’s smart. He does know Iroh has a gun,” Azula says. “He threatened him once, Iroh won’t hesitate to do some damage.”

Zuko chuckles a little and leans on Sokka. “Okay.”

“Keep him safe, idiots,” Azula says. “Sit with Mai, Ty Lee, and I in English, okay?”

“Okay,” Zuko says. Suki comes over and gives him a hug.

“I have a blackbelt in judo. I can and will kick your father’s ass if I have to,” she whispers.

“Thanks, Suki,” Zuko giggles. The warning bell rings and the group heads inside. He’s still on edge and his back is still stinging, remembering what it feels like to get cut into over and over again. He clings to Sokka’s hand and pretends that he’s not frightened by everyone he sees with long dark hair.

Zuko calms down a little bit throughout the day. Katara made him a cupcake for lunch and Sokka hands him a small box wrapped in red paper at their table.

“You...got me something?” He asks. Sokka raises an eyebrow.

“It’s your birthday, of course, I got you something. It’s not anything fancy ‘cause I’m broke but it’s a little something,” Sokka says with a rising blush on his cheeks. Zuko grins and gives his boyfriend a peck on the cheek.

He carefully opens the wrapping paper and takes the lid off a small cardboard box.

There’s a small canvas inside with a little wolf and dragon on a blue and red pained background.

“You made this?” Zuko whispers in awe, running his finger over the wolf.

“Yeah, I mean, I’m not that talented or anything but-”

He’s cut off by Zuko basically flying into his arms. “I love it,” Zuko whispers. Sokka wraps his arms around him and squeezes.

“Happy birthday, baby.”

There’s a sleek black car sitting in the parking lot across from the exit Zuko comes out of at the end of the day. He doesn’t even look at the license plate before running back inside and pushing his way through the flood of students trying to leave until he’s at Azula’s locker.

“Zula!” He all but whimpers as soon as he’s standing next to her.

“What is it? What happened?” She asks. She slings her backpack on and holds Zuko’s arms while he starts hyperventilating.

“I-I think I saw his car,” Zuko says. Azula worries at her lip and then presses him against her locker.

“Stay here, I’ll take a look. Tell Sokka and his little crew to get over here,” she says and heads off down the hall. Zuko fumbles with his phone and sends a message to the group chat and then focuses on staying upright. His cheeks feel wet and he isn’t breathing right and then his legs give out.

“Nervous, Hayashi?” A voice he thinks he recognizes asks. All that comes out in response is a breathy whine and he covers his head with his arms.

“Fuck off, Jet!” Another voice he knows he knows says and then he feels someone kneel down next to him. “Zuko? What’s the matter?”

Ty Lee.

He shakes his head and doesn’t say anything. He’s not convinced he could even speak right now.

“Is Sokka coming?” She asks. Zuko nods and his back starts aching. He hears more footsteps and looks up. Azula’s back, panting, and Sokka, Katara, Aang, Toph, and Suki are here.

“What’s going on?” Sokka asks.

“Our dad’s outside we gotta move,” Azula says and pulls Zuko up by his wrist.

“I thought Iroh was working on a restraining order,” Katara says.

“He is but it’s not finalized yet or some shit, look I don’t know!” Azula snaps. “All I know is that he’s outside in the parking lot and I don’t know where to go!”

“Hang on,” Aang says and runs in front of Azula. “I know where to go, follow me.”

Aang brings them to the woodworking classroom where a teacher’s cleaning off a saw blade.

“Can I help you, kids?” He asks.

“We need to use that back exit,” Aang says. The teacher looks the group over and his eyes settle on Zuko, who’s still crying and barely able to breathe.

“What’s going on here?” He asks.

“Our abusive dad is in the parking lot and we need to get out of here without him seeing us and Aang seems to think this exit will get us out safely,” Azula says. 

“Shit, okay,” the teacher, Mr. Lim- Zuko thinks, murmurs, and grabs a set of keys. “Can you tell me the car’s license plate? I’ll make sure the way is clear of that car before you head out.”

“GHW-995,” Azula says.

“Okay. Do you need to get to a bus or what?”

“I’ll drive us,” Sokka says. “My car’s in the lot but he’s never seen me before. I can go to the lot.”

“Alright. Stay here. Do you two think he saw you?” Mr. Lim asks Azula and Zuko. Zuko shakes his head.

“No, he didn’t see me either,” Azula says.

“Good. Stay right here, I’ll be right back,” Mr. Lim says and runs outside.

“Sit down, Zuko,” Azula says and gently manhandles him into a desk. “Hey, it’s going to be okay.”

“I...I told you he’d come!” Zuko sobs.

“Baby, look at me,” Sokka says and grabs his hands. Zuko looks up at Sokka’s crystal blue eyes and tries to breathe. “If he’s in the middle of a restraining order, he can’t lay a hand on you.”

“Yes, he can!” Zuko half-yells and starts shaking again. “He can and he knows he can!”

“Okay, maybe he can, but it would be a really stupid move,” Suki adds and sits at the desk next to him. “He’s probably just trying to scare you. Which is still shit and I will go kill him if you want me to, but I think he knows he shouldn’t hurt you. He doesn’t have custody of you anymore.”

Zuko buries his head in his hands and wishes he could just teleport back to Iroh’s house. He knows he’s safe at Iroh’s house.

The door opens again and Zuko lets out a yelp.

“Just me,” Mr. Lim says. “The way is clear, Sokka go get your car.”

“On it,” Sokka says and gives Zuko a kiss on the head and then darts out of the classroom. “I’ll text Katara when I’m out there!”

“I’ll call Iroh,” Azula says. “So he knows.”

Zuko nods and drops his hands. “Thank you, sir,” he says to Mr. Lim quietly.

“Not a problem,” he says.

Katara comes over and holds his hand while Azula steps into the hallway and Toph sits next to Suki.

“It’s okay. We’ll get out of here safely,” Katara says and strokes his knuckles.

“Want me to go throw him?” Suki asks. Zuko laughs a little and shakes his head. “Because I can.”

“I know you could. But no. I don’t want you to put yourself in danger for me,” Zuko says.

“We all would in a heartbeat,” Toph says.

“I’m pretty sure we all could take him,” Aang says. Zuko laughs again and then Katara’s phone pings. 

“That’s Sokka. Let’s go,” she says. Mr. Lim opens the door for them and Aang goes to get Azula. They file out of the classroom and Katara gets into the passenger’s seat. Zuko and Azula pile into the back and Suki shuts the door behind them. 

“I can take Aang and Toph. I drove here, too,” she says.

“Thanks,” Sokka says and gives her a fist bump. He puts the car in drive and starts to turn around.

“Thank you for this,” Azula says and then grab’s Zuko’s still shaking hand.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Sokka says. Zuko leans his head on the window and watches the parking lot pass by. They’re taking a slightly roundabout way but they are out of view of Ozai’s rearview window.

“I hate him,” he hears Katara say under her breath.

Zuko shuts his eyes and tries to repeat his mantra in his head.  _ It was cruel and it was wrong it was cruel and it was wrong it was cruel and it was wrong _ .

When Sokka gave him that little canvas, he thought he might actually get to enjoy this day for once.

He hasn’t had a happy birthday. He never has.

“He said he didn’t want me anymore,” Zuko mumbles. “So why is he even here?”

“I don’t know, baby,” Sokka says and sighs. “I’ll bet Suki was right. It was just to scare you.”

“Maybe,” Zuko says and lets go of Azula’s hand. He wraps his arms around his middle and curls up. He shuts his eyes again and tries to not be conscious for the rest of the ride to Iroh’s.

Iroh sends everyone but Zuko upstairs and he sets Zuko down on the couch. Iroh kneels down in front of him and takes his hands.

“Are you sure he didn’t see you?” Iroh asks. Zuko nods.

“He..He was looking down, I think. I didn’t see his eyes,” Zuko says. Iroh exhales and squeezes his hands.

“I’ll talk to my lawyer about getting the restraining order finished sooner. You’re safe now. He knows he can’t come here without leaving uninjured.”

Zuko nods and starts to tear up again. “I...I just want to enjoy this day,” he says. “Sokka gave me a present and I thought I could and then he-” Zuko breaks off and starts sobbing. “He took it from me!”

“I know. He’s a monster and it isn’t fair,” Iroh says. Zuko digs his knuckles into his eyes and lets Iroh hug him for a while. “But your day isn’t ruined just yet. You still have several hours left you can enjoy.”

“How?” Zuko sobs.

“I think if you head upstairs you’ll see,” Iroh says with a twinkle in his eye. Zuko glances down the hallway and then back at Iroh.

“What did you do?” Zuko asks. Iroh just nods towards the stairs and Zuko stands up and walks down the hallway. He takes the stairs slowly, each step he sees a flash of a memory from previous birthdays.

Step.

Ozai tears a small sculpture of a dragon out of Zuko’s ten-year-old hand and smashes it on the floor.  _ You think you deserve this? _

Step.

Zuko sits completely still beside his father’s desk and tastes blood in his mouth after asking when he could go back to school.

Step.

Zuko’s on his knees, his hands tied together against a bed post, tears streaming down his cheeks as Ozai walks in with a kitchen knife.  _ You cause nothing but pain. Don’t you think you should feel it, too? _

But then,

Step.

Azula handing him a pride pin with a cautious hope in her eyes.

Step.

Katara throwing her hands up in the air when he approached their lunch table with a cupcake in front of her.

Step.

Sokka looking bashful while Zuko looked at his small painting in awe.

He gets to the top of the stairs and grins when he hears Azula’s voice.

“That’s him, idiot get off the dresser.”

Zuko reaches for the doorknob and decides he’s not going to let Ozai ruin whatever is waiting for him. He opens the door and there’s a soft chorus of ‘Happy Birthday.’

There are white Christmas lights hanging up along the top of the walls. His and Azula’s beds have been pushed aside and there’s a giant blanket fort in the corner of the room. Their bedside table has a small TV perched on it with a tall stack of movies on the floor beside it. There’s a terribly made sign with ‘Happy Birthday Zuko’ written on it in Aang’s handwriting and Zuko can see the point where Aang had started to run out of space.

Katara and Suki are nesting in the blanket fort.

Toph and Azula are on Azula’s bed.

Aang is on the dresser and Sokka’s standing in the middle of the room.

“We didn’t want to overwhelm you with a party so we thought we’d make you a movie night,” Sokka says. “We’ve got enough to last us until dawn and Iroh’s ordering pizza later and-”

Zuko lunges forward and wraps Sokka up in a hug.

“Thank you,” He says, loud enough to be heard even though he’s muffled by Sokka’s shirt.

“You don’t have to thank us,” Toph says. “We love you and wanted you to have a good birthday, finally.”

Zuko looks over Sokka’s shoulder at Azula. “Was this your idea?” He asks. She shakes her head and points at Aang.

“I just mentioned Dad treated you like extra shit on your birthday and he came up with the idea,” she says. Aang leaps off the dresser before Zuko can even leave Sokka’s arms and hugs him.

“You deserve a happy birthday,” Aang whispers. Zuko holds his friend tighter and just stays there for a second.

“I really love you all,” Zuko murmurs.

“We know,” Toph says and pokes him with her cane. “We love you, too.”

“Now come on,” Suki says. “Kat and I made the executive decision that we’re starting with  _ The Pink Panther _ .”

Aang bounds over to Katara and Sokka takes Zuko’s hand and pulls him into the fort.

Zuko cuddles into Sokka’s chest and sighs.

Nothing Ozai ever did, or could do, could ruin this.

**Author's Note:**

> I know I say this all the time but I have at least two more parts planned so stay tuned if you want :)  
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
